CDC asks researchers to assess how their projects align with Trump administration priorities
Source: ABC News
March 9, 2025, 8:33 PM
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sent a survey on March 6 asking some federally funded researchers to assess how their work aligns with the priorities of President Donald Trump's administration, according to documents obtained by ABC News.
CDC-funded researchers were asked whether their research would help combat "Christian persecution," defend women and children against "gender ideology extremism" or help curb illegal immigration. They were also surveyed about whether their research included any diversity or climate change initiatives -- among other questions that roughly align with recent executive orders.
On Friday, the agency clarified that the survey was only applicable to CDC partners doing work outside the United States. It's not clear how many researchers received the email, which was sent by the CDC's Global Health Center. "Receiving this survey was deeply unsettling. It's hard not to see it as an attempt to inject politics into scientific research, forcing us to align with ideological priorities rather than urgent public health needs," said one researcher who received the survey.
Researchers who received the survey also told ABC News that they were concerned their answers would be used to jeopardize ongoing research or could be used to justify further cuts, especially to research conducted abroad. "I worry about how these responses might be used to justify funding cuts, especially for critical public health initiatives," one researcher said.
Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/cdc-asks-researchers-assess-projects-align-trump-administration/story?id=119618340
Hatch Act issue.
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